


Destiel Old West Ranch Fluff

by gumbelievable



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel trains Horses, Ficlet, Fluff, Human Castiel (Supernatural), M/M, One Shot, Winchester Family Business is a ranch, dean winchester is a cowboy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:46:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26653894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gumbelievable/pseuds/gumbelievable
Summary: Dean is thinking about how he doesn't like the new ranch hand his father has hired.1. His name is Castiel, and that is just the most pretentious thing he has ever heard. And the name seems to fit the guy’s snobby, impersonal attitude.2. The guy called his serape a blanket.3. Well he doesn't have a third reason yet, but maybe he can find one while watching the guy train an unbroke colt.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 5
Kudos: 32





	Destiel Old West Ranch Fluff

Dean is thinking about how he doesn't like the new ranch hand his father has hired.

  1. His name is Castiel, and that is just the most pretentious thing he has ever heard. And the name seems to fit the guy’s snobby, impersonal attitude.
  2. The guy called his serape a blanket.
  3. Well he doesn't have a third reason yet, but maybe he can find one while watching the guy train an unbroke colt.



Dean walks to the round pen to watch the new ranch hand working with a young, unbroke colt. A broke horse is trained to be safe to handle and ride. This young, unbroke colt in the round pen has spent his life living practically wild on the range in the Winchester herd until he grew old enough to ride.

The nervous colt is cantering along the fence of the round pen, and Castiel just stands grounded in the center lazily holding onto a length of rope. Every time the young colt stops to paw at the ground or nicker to his friends Castiel will flick out the rope to drive the horse to move again and change direction. Castiel gestures with one arm in the direction for the colt to move, and he windmills the rope in his other arm. The rope rarely touches the horse, and when it does the rope just acts like an extension of Castiel's arm nudging the horse to move off in the direction requested. Once the horse responds to Castiel's guidance, Castiel drops his arm and lets the rope fall to his side.

Dean could imagine them having a conversation through Castiel's body language.

> **Castiel** : "Horse, go left, left, left," _walking closer, left arm out, right arm steady windmilling rope  
>  _**H** **orse** : "what?" _neigh_. "what?" _run backwards_. "what?" _buck, pin my ears back, go left.  
>  _**C** **astiel** : "good, ok," _stands still arms at rest and rope at rest  
>  _**H** **orse** : "wanted me, go left? ok,” _keeps circling to left_ “miss herd. scared. man, new, scary. run. find herd."

Dean isn't sure if Castiel has noticed him watching from the side of the corral since he has been focused on the colt.

"Hey, do you want me to get some extra ranch hands so we can rope the horse down and get him saddled for you?", Dean asks.

"No, I want the horse to trust and respect me first. This is a new thing for him. He is fearful. Every time he stops and acts afraid, I'll just guide him to move off to the left and move off to the right until he figures out being with me is no big deal. He has lived his entire life so far being guided by his herd-mates to go one way or another, so I can use those lessons he has already mastered in a herd to make trusting me easier. He'll make the connection, and he'll trust me to be a firm but fair boss. Eventually, he will have learned that if he trusts people and does what they ask, then they will do good things like brush him and rub on him and treat him well."

"Oh wow, that is the craziest thing I have ever heard in my life," Dean says. He doesn't mean his outburst to sound as mean as it may have, but he has just never heard anyone talk about working with horses like that. Dean is fascinated with Castiel’s approach of working with the colt. His father and the other ranch hands had always done most of the colt breaking. Dean never liked seeing the horses reacting with wild fear and bucking like mad, even though most people treated it like a sport.

"It will work Dean," Castiel responds dryly.

"Hmm... care to make it interesting?", Dean asks.

"Not really, I am just trying to do the job your family hired me to do. Working with animals is interesting enough for me. Sometimes, I think I work better with them than I do with people," Castiel says.

"No, you are misunderstanding me, Cas. I just-," Dean hurries to explain himself.

"Cas?", Castiel interrupts.

"Yeah, is it okay if I call you Cas? Castiel just sounds so religious and dignified. Like I'm saying a prayer in church instead of just talking to a friend," Dean says.

Castiel has still been focusing on the young colt throughout his conversation with Dean. The colt's demeanor does seem to be settling. Although he still bucks and kicks dust up on occasion while cantering the pen's fence line.

"Cas is okay," Castiel responds. "And I didn't know you thought of me as a friend."

"Oh", Dean blushes. "Well you seem like a nice enough guy. I haven't known you long, but I can't think of a single reason not to like you and I want to be friends with you."

"Thank you, Dean. I'd like to be friends too," Castiel says.

"When I said interesting before, I just meant do you want to bet on your crazy horse training method working for getting the colt to accept a saddle on his back?"

Castiel smirks, and Dean thinks this is the first time he has seen even the hint of a smile on Castiel’s face since meeting him.

"What terms do you have in mind?" Castiel asks.

"If you can get the horse saddled without needing to load him in a chute and strap him down. Then you will have won, and I will bake you a pie and I bake really good pies."

"I don't know Dean. I don't really care much for pies."

"Well, you've never had one of my pies, and I am not bragging when I say they are like Heaven."

"It sounds a lot like you are bragging." Castiel deadpans.

"Once you've had a bite, you will know I wasn't, and I will be right there to tell you I told you so," Dean says confidently.

"Oh, I see, we are eating this pie you baked for me together," Castiel says.

"What do you mean 'Oh, I see?'" Dean asks.

"This sounds like, if I win you are baking a pie to share on a date with me." Castiel reasons.

"Well, only if you are interested..." Dean states biting his lower lip.

"I am interested," Castiel smiles. "Do I have to bake a pie for us if you win?"

"No, you can cook us something else. I don't want to be disappointed with a second-rate pie on our first date." Dean grins.

"Well, I look forward to our date, and you baking us a pie." Castiel says.

"Haha, you seem pretty sure of yourself with training this colt." 

Dean notices the young horse has slowed to a walk, and in response to the horse’s slower gait Castiel purposefully turns his back on the horse. Dean is puzzled, and it looks like the colt is trying to figure Castiel out too. The horse is still nervous, but now it seems like curiosity is winning out over fear.

> **Horse** : "curious. closer look, man." _slows down to walk looking toward Cas  
>  _**_C_** **astiel** : "nothing interesting here" _turns away from horse  
>  _**H** **orse** : "hey, man. go left? go right?" _watches Cas  
>  _**C** **astiel** : "horse, follow" _while back is turned away from horse he walks further away from horse_  
>  **H** **orse** : "follow, ok" _walk a few steps forward in same direction watching Cas  
>  _**C** **astiel** : "horse, stop" _stands still  
>  _**H** **orse** : "stop, ok" _stands still_

Castiel pivots to the side, so he can see the horse. But he doesn't turn completely around to face the horse directly. Horses are prey animals and having a predator animal facing them directly can be overwhelming. So, he just lets the horse watch him curiously. And Castiel just stands looking anywhere else, but at the horse directly, like this is all no big deal. The horse snorts at Castiel, and then picks up a trot and heads to the fence.

"Wow, Cas, I've never seen an unbroke horse just follow someone like that without a lasso on them."

"Horses are pretty curious animals, and they are used to having a pecking order. His first reaction is that I am a threat. Once he is reasonably sure I'm not a threat, he will want to know if I get to boss him around or if he gets to boss me around. So, I'll keep my reactions to him consistent. If he goes where I ask, I'll be quiet, otherwise I'll put pressure on him by coaxing and nudging until I get the reaction I'd like. In the end, I want to make doing the right thing easy for the horse and doing the wrong thing hard."

"That seems really wise," Dean says. "Usually it’s just a sport to break our colts, we wear them out until the fight has left them. Then we get them trained."

"Sometimes the old ways aren't the right ways Dean."

Dean wonders if there is a story behind those words, but realizes he needs to get back to his own ranch duties, and that he has already spent more time then he meant to watching Castiel work.

"I need to get on with my work Cas, but I really enjoyed watching you work with our colt."

"Bye Dean," Castiel responds. "I also enjoyed having you here and talking with you."

“Bye Cas, and let me know, when you are ready to try saddling that colt. But no hurry, I like the way you are training him. I don’t want it to be rushed.”

While Dean walks away from the round pen, he thinks about how he really likes the new guy his father has hired.

  1. His blue eyes positively glow in the bright morning sunlight, and he looks like he is in great shape. Dean licks his lips thinking how Cas would look with just the hat and boots on.
  2. He is a hell of a cool guy. He is so patient and understanding working with the young horse, and he is snarky but kind and sincere too.
  3. They are going on a date! Whatever happens Dean is determined to get Cas to try some pie he has baked. Because if his phenomenal pie baking cannot win Cas’s heart, he isn’t sure anything can.



**Author's Note:**

> My intent was a fluffy old west type ranch ficlet, but I think this ficlet ended up being more fluffy horse whisperer.


End file.
